- Venue
- Saatchi Gallery
- Location
- London
Having bought the catalogue for the exhibition ‘Out of Focus: Photography’ at The Saatchi Gallery before my visit, I already knew that I would be interested in the work on show. However, I was surprised at the huge improvement on the work in real life; the quality, size and methods of production being undersold in the catalogue. All of my preconceptions about the show were smashed down as I walked around the numerous rooms in the Saatchi gallery.
I soon realised that I had overlooked or dismissed some of the work in the catalogue. I started noticing artists which I hadn’t considered relevant or likeable before visiting the exhibition. The first was Swedish artist J.H. Engström. His moody, atmospheric photographs emit a mystery and curiosity surrounding the nude subject. The natural positions of the subjects, in domestic settings creates a voyeuristic side to the work, as if the moments captured were never intended to be shared. The blurred, imperfect photos are ambiguous in their age and location which further alienates a current day audience. This is heightened by the size of the image and the glaring stare of each subject, intimidating the viewer. I found it destroying (as a practising artist myself) to see the work so badly represented in the exhibition catalogue; all of the atmosphere and intimacy created by Engström destroyed by his images being squashed into a catalogue.
This was also the case for American artist Meredyth Sparks, who has 4 pieces in the exhibition. She mixes images of popular musical and political figures from decades bygone with text and collage to create photo-collaged, semi-sculptural pieces. The sparkle of glitter, layering of image, text and Perspex and the gaps between these layers has failed to be captured within the catalogue, leaving the work seemingly unoriginal, and incredible similar to Andy Warhol’s 1975 series of prints of rock legend Mick Jagger.
When reflecting back at the catalogue for ‘Out of Focus’, I realised I hadn’t even noticed some pieces on my visit to Saatchi. Works by Luis Gispert, Mohau Modisakeng and Leonce Raphael Agbodjelou (to name but a few) were completely missed by me. Perhaps this was due to a lack of interest or attraction from myself towards the work; but I suspect it is more likely that it was due to the placement of the work within the exhibition. At a contemporary exhibition; aimed to challenge the audience’s preconceptions and anticipations of the medium of photography, I expected Saatchi to push the usual boundaries. Instead the most famous artists, as usual, received a huge space to exhibit in, where the lesser known were thrown together in small spaces. In a busy London gallery, in a space hard to manoeuvre with sculpture, installation, wall mounted prints and tourists; it is not surprising that I missed the work of the smaller artists exhibiting.
Although it may seem I am simply slating the curators, editors and documenting photographers in the catalogue, I do respect their efforts; they faced a huge challenge with this exhibition. Every piece of work exhibited somehow questions the medium of photography and sits on the fence between being a photographic image and something else. This must have been a huge difficulty when putting together the accompanying publication. The whole exhibition interrogates the viewers understanding of photography; making photos into sculpture, taking ownership of an image which is not yours and pushing the boundaries of traditional display methods. I found this inspirational and thought provoking; ‘Out of Focus’ did not allow me to be a passive viewer but constantly tested my expectations of photography. This exhibition was perhaps not for the more traditional flaccid audience; Charles Darwent of the Independent describes the exhibition as ‘rather depressing’ among other negative and regressive comments. I ‘rather’ disagree.
I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition, it was refreshing to see a mix of hugely successful artists such as John Stezaker exhibited alongside those I have never heard of before. What some may consider a ‘professional’ alongside ‘amateurs’ in the high end ‘Saatchi’ style art world. The whole exhibition to me could be called amateur, it’s literal meaning being ‘lover of’. Every piece seemed fun, energetic or had a sense of passion about it, which is rarely found in the precise and meticulous field of professional photography.
I came away with a notebook full of notes, a camera full of pictures and spent well over my usual 5 minute dash surveying the exhibition. The fact that I spent £10 of my tight student budget on the catalogue says it all; a completely provocative and inspirational exhibition in my eyes. From this exhibition I have not only gained a new catalogue and lots of ideas about my own artwork; it has taught me to never judge an exhibition by its book. Art can only truly be judged and appreciated when it is experienced firsthand.
